


Salome

by MissHorrorshow



Category: The Avengers (2012), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Complete, M/M, Smut, Thorki - Freeform, Thunderfrost - Freeform, porn with a plot, thorloki - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2013-07-02
Packaged: 2017-12-15 09:24:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissHorrorshow/pseuds/MissHorrorshow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A great feast is held in Asgard to celebrate the day of Thor's birth and Loki's gift to him sets dark plans in motion that will shake the Realm Eternal to its very foundations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Dance

The Grand Dining Hall vibrated with cheers and merriment. Tankards clinked, obscene amounts of food, mead and ale were consumed and at the head of the massive dining table sat the person of honor: Thor Odinson. Tonight's feast was held in celebration of the day of his birth. A few hours earlier Thor's parents, Odin All-Father and Frigga All-Mother, had retired to their bed chambers leaving only Thor, Lady Sif and the Warriors Three (Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun), and numerous other noble revelers. There were repeated cheers of Thor's name, toasts made in honor of his triumphs thus far and in hopes for his years to be many. He was given countless gifts from the Nine Realms, for which he was grateful, but Thor had no idea that the gift he'd most adore was yet to come.

Throughout the evening the court's most skillful musicians had provided the perfect soundtrack for the night's festivities and various singers had sung ballads that told of Thor's greatest victories and accomplishments, ballads of the might he would wield once he ascended the throne as king. Then, all at once the music had died down and the musicians traded their Asgardian instruments for ones that were wholly unfamiliar, strange stringed instruments obviously from some other realm, flutes unlike those of Asgard and odd percussion instruments. Thor believed these to possibly be of Midgardian origin, but he wasn't for certain. One of the previous singers took the stage that had been set up where court magicians had done astonishing feats of mysticism, acrobats had molded and contorted their bodies as if their flesh contained no bones and jugglers had tossed up spheres and clubs with speed and remarkable skill. The singer addressed the crowd of revelers to announce the next performance.

"From the realm of mortals far, far away comes Thor's final gift of the evening...the ancient music and dance of a region of Midgard known as 'Turkey'. The dance will be performed by Thor's own brother, Loki..."

The singer was interrupted by the murmuring of guests, most of which dealt with the fact that Loki was in no way Thor's brother, and the rest mostly cruel taunts about the "Jotun foundling". Thor grew irate at their blatant disrespect and raised a hand to silence them before he threw them all out of the palace himself, if need be. The murmurs ceased immediately.

"...And the music will be played by our own court musicians, who learned it from Loki himself. Without further ado, I present to you Loki and his Oryantal Tansi!"

The musicians began to play a lively, jangly tune and off stage the music was punctuated by the tinkling of what sounded like bells, but were in actuality zils, or finger cymbals. Loki spun onto the stage and the moment Thor set eyes on him, his mouth ran dry and his heart raced.

Around Loki's wrists were the cuffs Thor had had made for him. Part of the conditions for Loki's release from the palace dungeon was that he was to be made unable to use his magic. Asgard's greatest magisters worked together to make a set of cuffs, one for each of Loki's wrists, that were enchanted to make him unable to access his Seiðr. Thor demanded that if Loki was to be forced to wear these for quite possibly the rest of his life, they should at the very least be beautiful. Both cuffs now surrounded each of Loki's delicate wrists, both in the matching form of a golden serpent with glowing, red gemstone eyes, each with its tail in its mouth completing the circle. Around each of Loki's biceps were wide cuffs of the same tone of golden metal. Attached to each was a length of semi-transparent, silken fabric in a rich shade of green that hung loosely, fluttering with Loki's movements and attached by a loop to each of Loki's middle fingers. He was bare torsoed, and was only dressed in a pair of trousers in a style no one present had ever seen before. At the waist was a wide band of green fabric embroidered with golden thread in an intricate, foreign design. Attached to the band were the legs of the trousers. They were made of the same fabric as the fabric attached to his armbands. He wore underpants that afforded him some measure of modesty, but the legs of the trousers were mostly see-thru, each in a teardrop shape slit up the outside of each leg and ending in a fabric cuff at each ankle that matched the band at his waist, tiny, tinkling bells sewn around each one. Tied at his right hip and draping across to his left was a sash made of the same material as his trouser legs, but instead of being green, this fabric was gold, with the same kind of bells sewn along the sash's hem as the ones at his ankles. His feet were bare. He wore his hair far unlike his normal straight, slicked down style, but instead it flowed softly in silken, ebony waves falling just above his shoulderblades. Around his navel he'd adhered tiny, glittering clear crystals.

Loki's movements were as serpentine as the cuffs at his wrists. On the floor at his feet were two scimitars, one crossed over the other like an "X". Loki bowed and picked them up, his body spinning and undulating as he swung the swords, flung them skyward and caught them, balanced them atop his head as only the muscles of his torso moved. The bells on his sash and at his ankles tinkled softly as he moved, and the zils at his fingertips kept time with the music even as he performed his tricks. Thor was lost in the flawless elegance of Loki's movements. The waist of his trousers rested low on his hips offering a perfect view of the way he swung them back and forth like a pendulum. Finally, Loki took one of the scimitars in hand, swishing it back and forth as if taunting some unseen attacker. Then, with a spin he hurled it into the crowd of revelers, sending it plunging into a wooden wall column behind where Thor sat, just above his head, mere inches from splitting his skull. The crowd collectively gasped in terror, but Thor merely smiled. He knew if Loki meant him harm, the scimitar would have gone through his heart. Loki was merely showing off. Loki clenched the second scimitar in his teeth, leaping onto the long dining table and spun down the length of it until he was stood right before Thor. He kicked Thor's plate of food away and dropped to his knees, sitting back on his heels, looking down at Thor with a steely gaze, which Thor matched with a steely gaze of his own. Loki took the scimitar from his teeth as the music began to die down. He leaned down and held the blade to Thor's throat which made two guards reach for their swords. Thor held up both of his hands to call them off, his chest heaving, awaiting Loki's next move. Loki grinned quite warmly, pulled the blade away and held it out handle-first to Thor in offering, head bowed reverently. Thor laughed deeply, taking it from him.

"Happy day of your birth, my brother." Loki said with a coy grin.  
"My thanks to you for my gift, brother." Thor replied, giving Loki a playful slap against his bicep with the flat of the scimitar blade.

The crowd erupted in applause as Loki climbed down from the table. Loki took his bows and left the dining hall, everyone suspecting he was headed for his bed chamber.

After another few minutes, Thor excused himself for the night, inviting the guests to continue in their feasting and celebration as late as they desired to. However, with the guest of honor no longer in attendance, everyone decided to make their way home for the night.

Thor had no intention of laying in his bed this night. He decided he was going to show Loki just how much he appreciated his thoughtful gift and let him feel the effect it had on him, the ache in his loins spurring him on.


	2. The Oath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love makes men do crazy things. So does lust. What would equal measures of both drive a god to do to set right a lifetime of wrongs?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahoy! And shit gets real. Rimming happens, too, so if that's not your thing...sorry? *shrugs* LOL
> 
> Oh! One more thing: I mention the Bifrost toward the end of this chapter and before I get comments about it, as far as this fic goes, the Bifrost has been repaired since the events in "Thor". It never made sense to me why it couldn't be, so as far as this fic goes, it has been.
> 
> Okay, that's it. Enjoy, and I'll try to get chapter three done as soon as possible. Thank you for all the amazingly positive feedback! ^.^

Loki stood in his bed chamber, in front of his full-length dressing mirror, eyeing his form. He had sketched and described the costume to the court's best seamstress, but wasn't entirely assured she'd be able to create it to his liking. Rather, she had exceeded all his expectations. He smiled softly. The effect his costume and his dance had on Thor was undeniable. Thor's pupils were blown wide and his interest was quite visible in his trousers. Ever since Loki knew that Thor was aware of his true parentage, Loki had wrestled with what to do with the affections he still held in his heart for the god that he could no longer rightfully call "brother". He didn't wrestle long before deciding to carry his affections over to a whole other plane. He began slowly with subtle flirtations while he was still imprisoned below the palace. He was pleased to find Thor more than receptive and before he knew it, Thor was dressing his wrists with the elegant, serpentine bands he now wore and he was once again allowed total access to the palace. He hated that the bands robbed him of the magic that was the core of his very identity, but it wasn't lost on him that Thor made certain that at least the condition of his release was beautiful to look upon.

Loki spun the bracelet on his right wrist, smiling softly to himself. His mind swam with thoughts of pressing his lips to Thor's, being wrapped up in his strong embrace. The energy that passed between them these days had nothing to do with kinship or brotherhood, but thus far energy, coyly whispered words, and suggestive glances were all they shared.

Loki heard the creaking of his bed chamber door as it opened slowly. The silhouette, backlit by the torches in the hall and reflected in his mirror, was unmistakeable. Loki kept his gaze fixed on his own reflection, knowing Thor would go mad from not drawing his immediate, rapt attention. Thor quietly closed and locked the door behind him, crossing the room with far more grace and subtlety than a god of his bulk should be capable of. Thor stood behind Loki, his gaze searing its way from Loki's shoulders, then lower to the delicate curve of his ass. Loki smirked cheekily.

"Did my gift please you, dear brother?" Loki said, still looking into the mirror, taking a comb to his hair, voice thick with lascivious promise.  
"Oh, I am your brother now, am I? Is this the costume one wears for their brother? And the dance, is that how one dances for their brother?" Thor teased, running his callused fingertips down the length of Loki's spine making him shiver.  
"Are you not here as my brother, Thor? Then, pray tell, Odinson, in what capacity do you visit me?" Loki toyed with him, prying the bands from his biceps and freeing the sashes from his middle fingers, setting them on a nearby dressing table.  
"Do you not know? Could you not feel the desire radiating from me as you knelt on the table before me? Could you not hear the blood rushing through my veins as my heart threatened to pound its way out of my chest?"  
Loki blushed softly at the thought as Thor gripped his shoulder, spinning him around and pressing his back against the mirror, devouring his lips in a hungry kiss. Loki melted into it, fingers carding through Thor's cornsilk locks. Their matching urgent needs ground against one another as their kisses turned desperate. Finally, Thor parted their lips, gasping.

"Loki, I must have you. I need to spear the core of you and watch you come undone for me. Please." Thor begged.  
Loki grinned devilishly, rucking up Thor's blood red tunic and pulling it over his head, tossing it aside. He pressed a palm flat to Thor's firm chest, pushing him backward until the backs of Thor's legs hit the edge of the foot of Loki's bed and he fell down into a sitting position there. Loki untied the sash across his waist, throwing it to a corner of the room, and it landed with a soft tinkling of its bells. He then turned his back to Thor, pointing wordlessly to the laces at the back of the waistband of his trousers. Thor got the hint and unlaced them quickly. Loki turned to face him, beginning to swivel his hips, sending the trousers falling to the floor. Loki pulled them away and tossed them aside, leaving him wearing only a slight undergarment of moss green velvet over his loins. Thor licked his lips wantonly, reaching out to caress Loki's alabaster skin.

"Was it my kneeling that so entranced you, Thor?" Loki asked, voice lusty and husky.  
"It was everything, but the kneeling I did especially enjoy." Thor replied with a playful grin. Loki laughed softly, falling to his knees before Thor, his long, agile fingers making their way over Thor's fabric covered thighs. They stopped to rest on the lacings of Thor's trousers, working his growing hardness through the soft fabric. Thor threw his head back, gasping at the contact that was far from enough. Loki replaced his hands with his mouth, working Thor's cock skillfully, reveling in the sensation of flesh becoming steel between his lips. Using his teeth and tongue he unlaced Thor's trousers, then finished the job with his hands, pulling Thor's cock free, giving it a few slow, gentle strokes. Thor moaned shamelessly, caressing Loki's cheek. Loki licked his lips and began to mouth the head of Thor's cock, paying special attention to the sensitive spot underneath the crown and running the tip of his tongue through the slit, humming with satisfaction as the pre-cum began to flow.

"Defile my mouth, show me just how much my gift pleased you." Loki ordered. Thor didn't need to be told twice. Loki swallowed Thor down to the root, and Thor gripped his silken, wavy locks, fucking into his mouth gently, slowly building up speed and force as pleasure began to overwhelm him. Loki hummed deep in his chest, the vibrations undulating over Thor's aching flesh. Loki gently kneaded Thor's balls in his hand and it quickly became too much for Thor to take. He pulled Loki's mouth away, pulling him up into a violent, passionate kiss that filled both their mouths with the coppery tang of blood.

"Lay on your back for me." Loki instructed. Thor obeyed, resting his head on Loki's mountain of soft, fluffy pillows. Loki stood, pulling off Thor's boots, dropping them by the side of the bed and divesting him of the rest of his clothes. Loki took a few moments to let his eyes wander over the expanse of Thor's body, a hungry gleam in his eye like a feline eyeing a saucer of fresh milk. He decided to be a little cruel, and he began to dance, his body undulating and spinning as it did in the grand dining hall, except this time his hands slid over his skin, over his firm abdomen, his chest, fingers moving in circles over his nipples gently working them into stiff peaks, up and down his sides, anywhere he could reach. Thor's desire grew as he watched Loki move, and he ached for him in the very depths of his core.

"Loki...please..." Thor pleaded desperately. Loki laughed darkly, drunk on the power he held over the golden god. Finally, as Loki continued to dance, his hands glided to the velvet underpants. He turned his back to Thor, sliding them down and bending over, swaying his ass, presenting like a bitch in heat. Loki could feel the last of Thor's resolve breaking. Thor sat up sharply, gripping Loki's hips and pulling him backward. He took the underpants from him, drawing them across his nose, on fire from the scent of him blended with subtle perfumes of a floral bouquet. Dropping them to the floor, he forced Loki's head down so that he once again bent over before him. Loki gasped, hands gripping his shins to help him keep his balance. Thor gave Loki's right ass cheek a medium strength blow with his large hand, drawing a yelp from the lithe god. He repeated the action on his left ass cheek, but this time was rewarded with a moan. Thor kneaded the meat of Loki's ass with both hands before gently spreading the cheeks apart, blowing a stream of soft, warm air at his entrance, watching it twitch in response. Thor grinned lewdly, licking his lips and placing a chaste kiss to the hole, making Loki gasp. Thor returned to his previous position, laying on the pillows and signaled Loki to come to him.

"Sit astride my face, Loki, facing the foot of the bed. I wish to devour you until you can take it no longer." Thor commanded. Loki swiftly complied, leaning forward, palms flat to the bed to support his weight. Thor peppered the cheeks of his ass with worshipful kisses before spreading the cheeks apart once more and licking a firm stripe over the tight ring of muscle, making Loki jump. Thor chuckled, pleased by his reaction, and began to lick circles around his entrance. Loki leaned down, turning his head to the side, resting his warm cheek on Thor's thigh, moaning whorishly as Thor began lapping at his hole, his tongue twisting and undulating the same way Loki had danced for him. 

"Take yourself in hand, Loki." Thor ordered, and Loki sat up, licked his palm and did just that, stroking himself in time to Thor's agile tongue, moaning and gasping. When Loki was sufficiently lost in rapture, Thor hardened the muscle of his tongue and breached Loki's hole, fucking into him, stopping to suck at the quivering ring when his tongue was buried inside of him. After a few moments of this, Thor turned to Loki's bedside table and retrieved a bottle of lightly scented oil he found there. He coated one finger with the oil, slicking it over Loki's hole. He coated his finger again, this time easing it gently into Loki who hissed at the intrusion. Once Thor had his finger completely inside of Loki, he worked it in and out carefully, crooking it downward until he found the lump he was searching for that made Loki scream with delight. He slid his finger out, coating two fingers with oil now, sliding them both in and once more fucking them into Loki, rubbing his sensitive gland, Loki's sobs and mewls filling the room. Thor scissored his fingers inside of him, preparing him for what was to come. Before long, Loki began to beg and plead to be fucked and Thor was more than willing to give him what he asked for.

Thor gripped Loki by his sides, laying him on the bed beside him. He then sat up, his feet flat against the bed, knees bent. Loki needed no instruction to sit on Thor's lap. Thor coated himself in a generous amount of the oil, took himself in hand and Loki lowered himself down onto Thor's hardness, hissing and gasping as he stretched to accept Thor's remarkable size. Once he sat flush to Thor's lap, he devoured Thor's lips as he began to move slowly. Thor caressed Loki's back, kissing, sucking and nipping at Loki's neck and shoulders as Loki picked up the pace, Thor's name like a mantra on his lips. Thor gripped Loki's hips, beginning to meet him thrust for thrust, grunting and calling Loki's name. Loki wrapped his arms around Thor's neck, and soon they were slamming against one another, the slapping of wet flesh against wet flesh and their cries of pleasure echoing off the walls. Thor felt his climax rapidly approaching, so he reached between the two of them, gripping Loki's cock and pumping it as hard as they were fucking, longing to bring Loki along with him. In mere moments, their cries joined in choral unison as Thor spilled over and over deep inside his lover, and Loki sprayed in stream after stream between them, tears of ecstasy and deeply buried sorrow falling freely from the corners of his fractured emerald eyes.

Thor held Loki close to him, kissing every bit of his skin his lips could reach, wiping Loki's tears away. After a time, Loki eased off of Thor's lap, laying in his bed on his side, knees drawn to his chest, his face devoid of any discernible emotion. Thor rose and retrieved a warm, wet cloth wiping himself clean. He rinsed it, soaking it with more warm water, walking to the bed, gently pulling Loki's legs away from his chest, and wiping Loki clean, front and back. He returned the cloth to the bath and climbed into Loki's bed laying on his side behind Loki, pulling Loki back against his chest in a loving embrace.

"Have I saddened you, Loki?" Thor asked in genuine, loving concern.  
"No, Thor. I am sorry. Bitter memories always find their way through any joy I might ever feel." Loki answered, bringing Thor's hand to his lips and placing kisses to his knuckles.  
"I would do anything to take your sorrow away. I would gladly pluck out all those bitter memories like weeds and replace them with only my love and devotion." Thor said, placing kisses to Loki's temple and cheek.  
"You would do anything? Anything so that I could know everlasting happiness and peace?" Loki questioned.  
"Yes, beloved. Simply ask, whatever the task, and it is yours."

Loki sat up on the side of the bed, his back to Thor.

"You know the root of all my sorrows. The one who proclaimed me to be the Lie-smith, yet who told the lie of all lies..."  
Thor sat up with a start, knees to his chest, heart pounding with fear as he quickly suspected what Loki was about to ask of him.  
"Loki, please do not ask this of me...this, the one thing I cannot do." Thor pleaded softly. Loki leapt to his feet in anger.  
"You said you would do anything! You swore!" Loki shouted. Thor stood, making his way around the bed to him.  
"If I do this for you, I will be executed! And if it is discovered that I did it at your behest, you will be, too! What Odin did to you infuriates me, Loki but..."  
"What he did to US, Thor! He lied to us both! He groomed you to hate and despise all of Jotunheim, all the while knowing the one he urged you to love as your brother, as your blood and kinsman was a Jotun himself! And if he knew of our love do you not think he'd have our lives anyway?! He'd parade us in front of all of Asgard and separate us from our heads for our perversity!"  
Thor began to softly weep, caressing Loki's cheek. Loki yanked his head away, folding his arms over his chest and turning his back.  
"Loki, you know I cannot do this. I cannot!" Thor shouted.  
"Get out." Loki said evenly.  
"Loki, please..."  
"GET OUT!!!" Loki screamed, gathering Thor's clothes and hurling them against his chest.

Thor dressed quickly, heading for Loki's door, turning back.  
"Loki...I love you dearly, more than my own life...please try and understand." Thor urged.  
"Empty words...meaningless, useless sentiment. Leave me be." Loki replied coldly, refusing to look at Thor.

Thor sighed and left, entering his own bedchamber and collapsing into his bed. In his heart of hearts he knew what Loki asked of him was far from unreasonable, and he knew that Loki would never know peace or true happiness while the All-Father still drew breath, but how could Loki ask such a thing of him? Odin might not be Loki's true father, but he was Thor's and if Thor took Odin's life, the citizenry would demand retribution and both he and Loki would be put to death. Even if she understood and sympathized, his mother, Frigga, would even be powerless to soothe their ire and thirst for vengeance. This night, Thor did not sleep. His mind raced, but by sunrise he knew there was only one person in whom he could confide and who would have the answer he so desperately needed. He bathed, changed into fresh clothes and fetched his horse from the palace stables headed for the Bifrost.


	3. The Promise, Kept

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor wrestles with the hardest decision of his life, but after seeking the counsel of someone he trusts above all others, and learning the devastating truth of his own existence, the decision makes itself for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I consulted the Marvel website and read up on [Thor's backstory](http://marvel.com/universe/Thor_%28Thor_Odinson%29), according to them, which is where I got the idea for the thing he learns about himself. I just tweaked it a little. 
> 
> **Lots of warnings up front** :  
> This chapter features discussion of rape, GRAPHIC descriptions of violent acts and major character death (I wonder who that is? Hmm... LOL). I'm not playing around, it gets heavy from this point on. If you're squeamish, and you read this chapter and chapter four, you will have a bad time. Now, in this chapter I reward your fortitude with smut but even the smut is pretty fuckitty-uppity. **_YOU HAVE BEEN THOROUGHLY WARNED_**. This is also going to be a pretty long chapter. Lots of ground to cover.
> 
> Last chance to turn back with your brainmeats intact. Okay, here we go!

Thor brought his steed to a stop once he reached the Bifrost. He led it by its reins inside and tied them to a spot on the wall intended for such a thing when one came not to make use of the Bifrost, but to speak with Heimdall, who stood waiting patiently for Thor to address him.

"Grand morning, Heimdall." Thor said, trying to make his voice sound less tired than he felt.  
"Indeed, my Prince and future king, but not for you. I know what brings you to me." Heimdall replied, voice expressing no discernible emotion.  
"I expected nothing less as you see and hear all. What am I to do, Heimdall? I've already broken a taboo last night by laying with Loki. We may not share blood, but the citizenry would not care if they found out. The mere fact Loki and I grew together as brothers makes what we did morally repugnant in their eyes."  
"Indeed, but it is not up to the citizenry to decide what is right or wrong. All both of you did was follow the natural affections in your hearts to their inevitable end."  
"Are you saying you are in agreement with what we did? Does it not sicken you?"  
"I am not allowed to have an opinion on such matters, my Prince, but if I were, that would be it."

Thor scrubbed his face with his hands, a little relieved that he wasn't insane for not feeling any guilt for making love to Loki. However, there was a far more pressing matter at hand.

"I am certain you know what Loki asked of me last night." Thor said finally.  
"Yes, my Prince."  
"The fact I even considered it, even for the most fleeting moment, I should by rights be put to death." Thor spoke while pacing, thoughts racing.  
"As I said, my Prince, I am not allowed to make moral judgments. I am only allowed to follow the laws of Asgard and defend the realm and its people when necessary. I am also sworn to complete secrecy when it comes to matters of the King. Whether I approve of what he does or not do, unless he makes to bring harm to the people of Asgard, I cannot interfere with his actions or discuss anything I might witness. To speak of these things is to court death."  
"But I am not yet king, Heimdall. Is this your way of telling me you have to tell the All-Father what you've seen, what Loki asked of me?"  
"I am not speaking of you at all. You came to me wanting my aid in making your decision: whether or not to grant Loki that which he asked for. I intend to help make this decision quite easy for you, but I cannot speak in absolutes, only hypotheticals."  
Thor nodded, mostly understanding what Heimdall meant, but completely unprepared for what Heimdall was about to reveal "hypothetically".

"Loki's rage is founded on the lie of his parentage, of his entire existence...I am certain you know that the All-Father's intent was to forge an alliance with Jotunheim through Loki."  
"Yes, I am aware."  
"This was, hypothetically, not the first time the All-Father had arranged such a thing."  
Thor's face was a mask of confusion as Heimdall continued.  
"Let us imagine together a time before you were born. At this time, Midgard had gods of their own, a goddess in particular named Gaea. If an Asgardian king wanted to forge an alliance with Midgard, perhaps even rule over Midgard outright, it would be ideal to produce an heir with whomever rules over it, if such a thing were possible."  
"But my father was wed to my mother. Are you saying I have another brother, a bastard?" Thor asked, growing distressed.  
"I am speaking only hypothetically, remember, and I am not finished."  
"My apologies, continue."  
"This Asgardian king might make repeated visits to Midgard, intending to woo this goddess. She would obviously know he already had a wife, and would reject his advances. This king, he would likely be enraged that this goddess, who ruled over mere mortals while he ruled over other gods, would think herself too good to lay with him, to bear his heir. He might think to tell her he wants to see her one last time, with promises that he'll never trouble her again, if only she'd meet him in a cave in the land the Midgardians call Norway. Quite possibly, when she arrived, this enraged king might have captured the goddess, and forced himself upon her, leaving her bound and weeping. Then, he might return with a handmaiden whose sole responsibilities were to make sure the goddess' most essential needs were met, to deliver the child and see it through weaning. Then, once the babe was weaned, this king would likely return to the cave, steal the child from his mother and come back to Asgard, leaving the handmaiden behind to release the goddess and unexpectedly be torn apart by her in her grief and rage. The king might then, upon his return to Asgard, place this child into Queen Frigga's arms, ignoring her pleas for an explanation of the child's origin, and demanding she name him and raise him as her own son, threatening her with grievous harm should she ever tell the child otherwise."  
Thor's eyes began to well up with tears, his heart began to pound and his fists clenched.  
"In this purely imaginary tale, Heimdall...What did Frigga name the child?"  
Heimdall took a deep breath. "She named him...Thor."

Thor felt all the blood leave his face and pool around his clenching gut.  
"No, this can't be. It cannot be!" Thor shouted, weeping.  
Heimdall continued. He felt Thor deserved to know everything, the depths of the All-Father's evil.  
"When you and Loki were both on the cusp of manhood, Frigga decided you both deserved to know the truth of your parentages. She had, when you were a toddler, gotten the All-Father heavily drunk and was able to get him to tell her of your conception. The All-Father, if he was unable to locate your mother, would come to me to learn of her whereabouts and what she was doing. If he did such a thing, I'd have no choice but to obey and tell him that she was intending to tell you both everything. Of course, the audacity of her doing such a thing, behind his back no less, would make his blood boil. He would stand in her path, drag her down the steps to the palace dungeon by her braid, bind her to the whipping rack and flog her head to foot until she no longer resembled herself, spitting in her face and declaring her to be no better than a harlot. He might tell Loki and yourself that she had fallen ill, when in actuality he'd left her lashed to the whipping rack for a fortnight, only then might he allow her the aid of healers and Idunn's apples so that when she was finally allowed to return to her former duties not one sign of her punishment was visible."

At this point Thor dropped to his knees on the rainbow bridge, vomiting violently over the side. Once he was finally able to regain his composure, he stood once more before Heimdall.  
"You knew all of this and did nothing?!" Thor asked, trembling with blind rage.  
"When it comes to the king and what he chooses to do, as I said, so long as he does not threaten the people of Asgard it is law that I turn a blind eye to his actions. This is not to say that it does not torment my soul to do so. All I can tell you, my Prince, with any certainty is that a king who could do such things is a corrupt king indeed, and does not deserve his position, or even his life. If this king's son were to decide to make him pay for these atrocities, I would not interfere, even though rightfully I am duty-bound to do so. I also cannot interfere if the citizenry exacts revenge. So, make your choice wisely."

Thor nodded gravely, his choice already made. "Thank you for your counsel, Heimdall."  
Heimdall bowed reverently, then returned to his post as Thor retrieved his horse, speeding back to the palace.

After returning his horse to the stables, Thor strode angrily through the palace, headed for the library where he knew Loki would be. Loki saw the rage plain as day on Thor's face and rose to his feet, dropping the tome he was reading on the table.  
"Thor, what's happened?" he asked quietly. Thor gripped his hand, half dragging him from the library, through the halls to his own bedchamber. Thor paced, anger sizzling like hot oil through his veins.  
"Thor, why have you brought us to my bedchamber? Talk to me, please!" Loki pleaded. Thor began to tremble and weep openly. Loki was in shock, wrapping Thor in his embrace. "What has shattered your heart so? Tell me, let me share your burden." Loki urged, caressing Thor's hair.

Thor sat on the side of Loki's bed, and Loki sat beside him. All the things Heimdall said poured from Thor's lips like a waterfall. Loki just wept softly, and clasped Thor's hands in his, his grip growing tighter and tighter as Thor spoke on.  
"Loki, when I do this, I put us both in mortal danger. I can explain everything to the citizenry but if they decide to exact mob justice, neither Heimdall, nor any of the palace guards, can help us. I will have committed regicide and if it is even assumed I did it on your behalf, we could both be executed."  
"WHEN you do this? It seems your mind is made up. I should have never asked this of you, I am sorry, Thor."  
"If you had not, I might never have known the truth of my parentage, the depths of the All-Father's greed and depravity. I am not doing this just for you any longer, but for both of us, and for the mother who loved us as her own even though she bore neither of us."  
They both began to weep together, clinging to one another, kissing each other desperately. After some moments, they pressed their foreheads together, carding their fingers through one another's hair.  
"When?" Loki asked softly.  
"Tonight. I will lure him out under the guise of a midnight hunt. Once we're far away enough from the palace...I shall do it then." Thor answered coldly.  
Loki kissed him passionately. "Whatever may transpire, I love you, Thor, from the depths of my soul."  
Thor nodded, kissing Loki's forehead. "And I you, Loki. Always have."  
They shared one more desperate kiss, and Thor stood, leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind himself. Loki wept bitterly, afraid of what he may have set into motion.

* * *

Odin was quite surprised at Thor's sudden request for a midnight hunt. They hadn't went on one together for many years.  
"You know I am always happy to spend time with you, my son, but why the sudden desire for a midnight hunt?" Odin asked as he oversaw the servants who were packing his supplies.  
"I realized that since I returned to Asgard after my banishment, and after bringing Loki home to face justice for the things he did, you and I have not had one moment to ourselves, like we used to. I felt time alone together as father and son was long overdue." Thor answered, giving the most sincere smile he could manage.  
"Indeed, my son...LONG overdue. I do miss slumbering under Asgard's glorious night sky." Odin mused.  
Thor's thoughts were cold and malicious as he took sick comfort in the knowledge that beneath Asgard's sky would be the All-Father's final resting place.

As Odin and Thor's horses were loaded down with supplies, Frigga met them just outside the palace gates to see them off. Both gods mounted their steeds, and Frigga gave Odin a tender kiss to his cheek.  
"Return to me safely." she pleaded. Odin sighed, visibly annoyed.  
"Yes, my Queen. I am perfectly capable of protecting myself. I have Thor with me, besides. We shall return no later than midday tomorrow." he replied coolly.  
Frigga bowed respectfully, clearly saddened by Odin's coldness. She made her way to Thor who eagerly bent low to embrace her and kiss her cheek warmly.  
"I will protect us both to the best of my ability, mother, this I swear." Thor comforted her.  
"I know you will, my darling son. You are certain you don't want to take a pair of guards with you, just in case?" she asked.  
"Can't a father spend some time alone with his eldest son?!" Odin hissed, causing Frigga to flinch, which stoked the fires of Thor's already barely concealed anger. "We will be fine, stop coddling!"  
"My apologies, my King. You know what's best, your wisdom is infallible." Frigga answered meekly.  
Thor called Frigga to him, kissing her cheek one more time. "I love you, mother, more than you could ever know." he whispered in her ear. Frigga smiled, cupping Thor's cheek in her hand.  
"Off with you two, now. May your hunt be successful." she said softly.  
"Oh I have no doubt it will be. Until the morrow." Thor said, and the two gods set off for the depths of Asgard's wilderness.

Thor lashed their horses' reins to a tree near an area of lush grass and still water. He ran his hand over Mjolnir that he had fastened to his belt. Together he and Odin built a fire and set up their camp.  
"So, what shall our quarry be tonight, my son?" Odin asked, taking a seat on a log. Thor sat on a log on the other side of their small fire.  
"I was going to leave that decision to you, father. For now, I thought we could enjoy some mead and conversation now that we've privacy and no women to interfere in our manly affairs."  
"Sounds like a grand plan, my son." Odin said with a smile as Thor rose to draw them each a tankard of mead, setting the cask on the ground between them. "So, what shall we discuss?" Odin asked.  
Thor took a gulp of his mead, his smile belying his malicious intent. "I wanted to ask you about my mother." he said evenly.  
"You brought me all this way to discuss your mother? We could have had this conversation back at the palace. Surely you could think of a more worthy topic of discussion. Perhaps you have some maiden that you've shared your bed with you would humor an old god with tales of?"  
Thor laughed softly. "Sadly, there have been no maidens to share my bed of late, but I'm certain you've had your share in your younger days, father."  
Odin laughed lewdly. "Yes, being the All-Father has afforded me a good amount of companionship with the weaker sex. Once you find yourself a bride you'll quickly learn one woman can hardly satisfy the appetites of a god and warrior."  
Thor laughed, lifting his tankard. "A toast to that! I wager my mother couldn't even fathom the number of women who've known the carnal affections of the almighty All-Father."  
"Indeed, my boy! Your mother has been an adequate wife, but she is stupid and naive. She believes herself to be enough to sate me, even as age robs her of what little beauty she once had." Odin chortled obnoxiously as Thor refilled his tankard.  
"Forgive me, father, but I do not believe we are speaking of the same woman."  
"Oh? Does your mother have a twin sister I am unaware of? Ye Gods, if she does they both fall short of fulfilling their duties!"

Thor laughed maniacally. He rose to his feet, taking Odin's tankard. "You are certainly enjoying your mead tonight!" he commented.  
"I am enjoying being able to enjoy mead without your mother's pestering me not to drink so much, and being able to untie my tongue and speak without concerning myself with damaging her fragile female heart."  
Thor set their tankards atop the cask of mead. "Aye, you have said much about your wife, but not a word about my mother." he said, a chilling edge to his tone.  
"Are they not one in the same?" Odin laughed softly, face a mask of confusion.  
"Are they, father? I'm sorry, my mead must be clouding my mind." Thor laughed deeply, Odin joining in. Swift as lightning, Thor pulled Mjolnir from its belt-loop and swung it, striking Odin against the side of his head, sending him flying from the log on which he sat.

"What is the meaning of this madness, Thor?!" Odin shouted, laying on his back, holding his head in his hands, pulling one hand away to find it covered in his blood.  
"Loki was not the first child you stole for your own selfish ends, was he? WAS HE?!" Thor demanded, standing over Odin who tried to get to his feet, but still swooned from the blow to his head.  
"I don't know what you've been told, Thor, but it's a lie, a vicious lie!"  
"If you don't know what I've been told, how do you know it to be a lie, father?" Thor grinned, half-crazed.  
"Frigga is your mother!"  
"But she did not bear me or give birth to me, did she? Oh, come on, father, can you not tell one truth in your life?" Thor sighed, pulling Odin to his feet by his hair.  
"What does it matter who your birth mother is?! Frigga raised you with nothing but love! Far too much, it seems! You've forgotten where your loyalties should lie! You will be gravely punished for what you've done, Thor! I promise you that!"  
"Are you going to lash me to the whipping rack like you did Frigga for wanting to tell Loki and I that which was our right to know? Then will you spit in my face, as well? Tell me I'm less than a harlot?! She's devoted her every waking moment to your happiness, you ungrateful pile of bilgesnipe dung!" Thor screamed, swinging Mjolnir until it drew a bolt of lightning to Odin's chest, sending him flying backward into a massive tree. He slid down in, unable to use his legs.  
"Thor...please...I am sorry...don't do this...It's not too late...in my pack, there are a few of Idunn's apples...feed them to me, heal me, and we shall never speak of this again." Odin begged, tears of terror falling from his eyes.  
"Did my mother plead this way as you forced yourself upon her? How about when you stole me from her, the child she gave life to, that she suckled while bound and helpless? Did Frigga plead this way when you flogged her and spat upon her and left her bound for a fortnight? You and I both saw the pleading in Loki's eyes as he dangled from the bridge to the Bifrost when all he wanted from you was one kind word, one glimmer of love and understanding and you couldn't even offer him that, not even as he fell into the Abyss. As all of their pleas fell upon your deaf ears, so shall yours fall on mine."  
"No, Thor, don't!" Odin shouted as Thor gave Mjolnir a mighty swing, the blow landing square on Odin's face. Blood gurgled from what remained of his mouth as he breathed his last breaths.  
"DIE, GODS DAMN YE! DIE DIE DIE!" Thor roared, landing blow after blow, the front of him becoming soaked in Odin's blood.

Finally, silence.

Thor dropped to his knees, howling mournfully, falling forward to where his head rested at Odin's boots. After he had no more tears to cry, he stood, retrieving a shovel from his pack. He dug a pit and rolled Odin's body into it. After filling it back in and patting the earth down, he spat on the grave.  
"Pray, father, Hela has more mercy on you than you deserve." he said coldly.

Thor packed up the camp, putting out the fire and assuring nothing was left behind. He untied both horses and mounted his, guiding the other by its reins beside him. He made his way quietly to the stables, knowing all of the stable-hands would be asleep. He unpacked the horses, guided them to their stalls and he silently made his way to his bedchamber with the baggage, laying it all on his floor, thankfully going unseen. The gravity of what he'd done began to hit him fully and he hurried to Loki's bedchamber down the hall, rapping lightly at Loki's door.

Loki awoke gently, unaware at first what roused him, until he heard the soft tapping. He quickly threw on a dressing gown, opening his door slowly, gasping at the sight that met his eyes. Thor wept softly, the front of him drenched in blood, trembling from head to toe. Loki grabbed Thor's forearm, pulling him quickly into the room, closing and locking the door behind them.

"He's dead, Loki...I killed him." Thor said quietly, sobbing. Loki wrapped Thor up in his embrace, caressing his hair and whispering words of love and comfort in his ear.  
"Come, Thor...let me draw you a bath." Loki said calmly, guiding Thor to his tub. He started the tub to filling, pouring scented oil into the water, turning off the tap once it had filled. Thor was numb as Loki began to get him out of his bloodied clothes. Once Thor was bare, Loki caressed his bloodied cheek. "Thor, I am so sorry I ever asked this of you. I am so sorry, I love you so much." Loki wept, kissing Thor desperately. Loki's kisses seemed to bring Thor snapping back to reality. Thor cupped Loki's face in his hands, kissing him hungrily, tearing his dressing gown away. Loki gasped for breath as Thor slammed his back against the stone wall of the bath, stroking Loki as he bit and sucked hard at Loki's clavicle. Thor grabbed up the vial of oil, lifting one of Loki's feet to rest on the edge of the tub as he coated two of his fingers in the oil, working them into Loki. Loki cried out at the pain of the sudden intrusion, but it quickly tipped over into pleasure. Thor coated his aching hardness with the oil, lifting up Loki's other leg, hooking it over his waist. He lined himself up with Loki's opening and bottomed out in one smooth thrust. Loki cried out again, gripping Thor's shoulders as Thor fucked into him mercilessly. In unison, they wept in sorrow and sobbed in animalistic rapture, devouring each other's lips in crazed, desperate kisses. Loki gripped a fistful of Thor's hair, yanking his head to the side, and lost in the madness of it all he began to lick Odin's blood from Thor's cheek.  
"For you, this blood I shed for you, Loki, my love." Thor growled. "I'll deny you nothing you ask, nothing. This is your proof."  
"Anything you shall ask of me, it is yours, too, my beloved. With his blood, this oath is sanctified." Loki vowed.  
Thor eased out of Loki, drawing a needy whine from his alabaster throat. Thor spun him around, placing Loki's palms flat to the wall, pulling his hips backward, coating himself with more oil and driving deep into Loki once more. Gripping Loki's hips hard enough to bruise he pounded into him with punishing force. Their cries echoed through the bath as they fucked like wild beasts. Thor left vicious bites all across Loki's back as he reached around with one hand to stroke Loki in time with his thrusts. Time seemed to stand still and nothing existed in all the realms but the rush of blood in their ears as the background to their intermingled growls and screams of equal measures of long concealed rage and lust. They came in unison, Thor filling Loki to his very core, and Loki spraying the cold stone wall with his hot seed. Thor wrapped his arms around Loki, both of them crashing back to reality. Thor placed a few gentle kisses across Loki's back, then turned him around, kissing him tenderly.

They bathed together wordlessly, the water red with the remainder of Odin's blood. Once they were both washed clean, Loki drained the bath and they dried one another. They made their way back to Loki's bedchamber. Loki climbed into bed and Thor turned toward the door.  
"No! Please, Thor...do not leave me tonight." Loki pleaded, eyes wide with terror. Thor nodded, climbing into bed behind Loki, embracing him tightly, pulling Loki back against his chest, kissing and nuzzling his cheek.  
"No matter what sunrise brings, know you have my love for all eternity, Loki...even if I spend my eternity longing for you in Hel." Thor whispered.  
"Shh...do not say such a thing, Thor. What you did was just. Our eternity will be spent together. It is meant to be." Loki comforted, lifting Thor's hand to his lips, kissing it tenderly.

Somehow, in one another's embrace, they were able to find blissful, dreamless slumber. This peace was not to last, but neither god knew just what daybreak had in store for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still with me? LOL  
> Chapter 4 is going to be just as gut-wrenching, but I promise you that no one else dies and it ends well, so don't give up on me yet!
> 
> Thank you all for all the amazing, positive feedback and I hope that chapter 4 is the ending you, as my readers, feel you deserve. <3


	4. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _...What's done in the dark will eventually come to the light..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are ladies and jelly spoons, the startling conclusion to this fic.
> 
> **Uhm, warnings, yes** :  
> More violence. Yeah, it gets graphic, REALLY GRAPHIC, but the ending will hopefully be worth all the heartache and feels in this chapter and the last one. All might seem lost, but never fear! Love conquers all, right?
> 
> Thank you all for being so patient, waiting for this chapter. I have a chronic pain disorder and it had me out of service for a bit, but I'm back and ready to finally wrap this up. I hope you enjoy it.

Early the next morning, Thor slipped to his chambers. He handed his bloodied clothing to his handmaiden with orders to burn them, and to ask no questions. He dressed in fresh clothes, took a deep breath and made his way to Odin and Frigga's bedchamber. He rapped on the door, gently.

Frigga had been sitting on the edge of the bed, eyes red with tears, face a mask of fear and worry. The stable master told her both Thor and Odin's horses were present in the stable, yet she'd seen nor heard any sign of Odin. When Thor rapped on the door, she jumped, sighed and called out, "Who is it?"  
"Mother...it is Thor."

Frigga all but leapt from the bed, running for the door, tearing it open and embracing Thor tightly.  
"Oh, my son. I was so afraid. Your father has gone missing. Please, tell me, do you know where he is?" she begged, clasping Thor's hands in her own. Thor began to weep, lifting her hands to his lips.  
"Mother...I did the best I could." he began.  
"No, Thor...oh Gods, no..." Frigga uttered, face losing all its color.  
"We had made camp, built a fire. We did not know that nearby lay a mother bilgesnipe in her den with younglings. She charged us both, rampaging. I summoned Mjolnir, but she struck me, knocking her from my hand. By the time I was able to wrench free from the grip of her mouth, and summon Mjolnir once more, the beast had already set upon father, rending him apart. I bashed in her skull, but it was too late. I am so sorry, mother." Thor wept bitterly, cleaving to Frigga.  
"His body...where is his body? He must be properly seen to so he can enter Valhalla." Frigga asked, tears flowing from her eyes.  
"The younglings carried him off and were gone before I could stop them." Thor replied. "Oh, mother, forgive me!" Thor cried, dropping to his knees, embracing Frigga's hips, his cheek on her belly, soaking her gown with tears. Frigga caressed his hair, suddenly stoic.  
"Does your brother know?" she asked.  
"I told him last night, when I returned. He saw to my wounds, comforted me. I could not bring myself to tell you what happened until now." Thor answered. Frigga nodded solemnly.  
"Go be with your brother. I must prepare what I shall say to the people. Please feel no shame. I know you loved your father as much as I did, and you did everything you could to save him. His death was not your fault." she comforted, dropping to her knees and kissing Thor's forehead, wiping his tears away with her hands. "Go on. I will send for you when I am prepared to make the announcement."  
Thor nodded, rising to his feet, and helping Frigga to stand. He kissed her cheek, then left, returning to Loki's chambers.

Loki met him at the door.  
"Did she believe you?" he asked, worried and frightened.  
"Yes, she did. But Loki, I broke her heart." Thor sobbed, and Loki quickly embraced him.  
"Remember, Thor, he did evil to her, too. She deserved vindication, just as much as you or I. The blood on your hands is righteous." Loki comforted, caressing Thor's hair.  
"We cannot talk out here, let us retire inside, lest someone overhears." Thor suggested, and Loki kissed him tenderly, taking his hand and leading him into his chambers, closing the door.

Neither god knew there were listening ears, just nearby. A young servant boy of fourteen summers old had come to bring the queen her breakfast. In shock and fear he dropped the tray and fled for the kitchen, where his father, Lund, worked washing dishes, pots and pans.

He burst through the doors, grabbing his father by the arm.  
"Father! Father! I must tell you something!"  
"Brede! I have tubs full of washing I must get done before lunchtime, I'm sure it can wait."  
"No, father, this is urgent. URGENT!" Brede insisted.  
"Well then..." Lund sighed, drying his hands on a cloth, "Out with it boy!"  
"Not here, father...in the pantry. We need privacy."  
Lund rolled his eyes. "My son needs me a moment, ladies. Do not lay a finger on those pots, or the one who does will receive a spanking!"  
The kitchen maids blushed and giggled as Lund led Brede into the massive pantry, closing the doors behind them.  
"Go on then, what is so urgent?" Lund urged.  
"The All-Father...he is dead."  
Lund's eyes grew as wide as saucers. "Boy, if this is some sick conjuration of your imagination, I'll..."  
"I heard Prince Thor tell the All-Mother himself. He told her the All-Father had been torn apart by a rampaging mother bilgesnipe."  
"Oh no...That is terrible!" Lund gasped, wiping his forehead.  
"But father, he lied to her!"  
"How do you know this, boy?"  
"After Thor left the Queen's chambers, he hurried to his brother, Loki's. Loki asked if the Queen had believed his story, and Thor said she had, then he wept. Loki comforted him and said that Thor had blood on his hands, and that it was just, that they three deserved vindication. Then...they kissed."  
Lund's face had lost all color at this point. "Thor murdered the All-Father? And, this kiss, I am sure it was nothing, they are brothers...at least, they were raised as such."  
"Father, I may only have fourteen summers of life, but I know the difference between a kiss of brotherly love and one of romantic passion."  
Lund wrung his hands for a moment, considering what to do. "Brede, you will take over my chore. I will gather a few men and we shall make way for the forest where the Prince and All-Father went hunting, see if we can find evidence of what you have told me."  
"Yes father." Brede nodded.  
"And tell no one what you have told me, understood?"  
"Yes, father, I shall not tell a soul."  
"Good boy. Now get in the kitchen before the washing gets too far behind."

Brede obeyed and Lund hurried to the great room of the servants' wing of the palace. He gathered a small group of men and relayed to them what Brede had told him. They gathered supplies and made their way on horseback into the forest until they reached the clearing where Thor and Odin had obviously set up camp the night before. The grounds were painted with blood and some of the men were sick from the smell, while others dropped to their knees in reverence for the fallen king. The group fanned out looking for any signs of Thor's deception. Eventually one of the men called out that he'd found a mound of freshly dug soil. The group gathered there, and Lund retrieved a shovel from the pack on his horse. Then men took turns digging, about to give up when it seemed to be nothing, until Lund uncovered a pale, bloodied hand.  
"Oh, ye Gods, say it is not so..." Lund whispered, continuing to dig. After a few moments, the body that quite obviously belonged to the All-Father was uncovered. The group fell to their knees, weeping and prostrating themselves on the ground around the king's crude grave. Lund took to his feet in a rage.  
"Thor may well have done this, but it was at the behest of that Jotun bastard! Servants spoke of the spectacle at Thor's birthday feast, but my son saw their perversity with his own eyes! He may not have his magic, but he has his wiles, and he beguiled Thor to do this!" Lund shouted, shaking his fist in a rage.  
"The bastard must pay!" one of the men shouted. The rest of the group cheered in agreement.  
"Back to the palace with us! We shall send guards to collect the body, and gather a group of citizens to storm the palace, drag that monster out and give him the punishment he is due!" Lund commanded.  
The group cheered in agreement and mounted their horses, headed for the palace.

Two guards were dispatched, and the rest were told to allow the mob entry without interference with the vow that Thor and Frigga would not be harmed. It took less than an hour for Lund and the other manservants to gather a massive group of citizens with weapons and ropes to bind the fallen prince.

Thor, Loki and Frigga sat at the dining table, all picking at their food morosely. It was tearing Thor apart to lie to Frigga, even though he now knew she wasn't his birth mother, she was the only mother he'd ever known and had shown him nothing but unconditional love. He knew this was for the best, however. Suddenly, the dining hall doors burst open and the crowd flooded in. Thor ran to place himself between Frigga and Loki.  
"What is the meaning of this?!" Frigga demanded.  
"We demand the blood of the Jotun foundling in recompense for the life of the All-Father!" Lund screamed.  
"What? No, you misunderstand! The All-Father was killed tragically last night by a mother bilgesnipe!" Frigga urged.  
"We have recovered the All-Father's body, and what was done to him was not done by a bilgesnipe. His head was bashed to a pulp and he was buried like a worthless pauper!" Lund retorted.  
Frigga's eyes were glistening with tears, and she looked to Thor. "Is this true? Thor, IS THIS THE TRUTH?!"  
"Mother, I...I know the truth of my birth. Odin was a liar, a rapist, an infant stealer and a beast! He deserved no less than what I gave him!" Thor howled in a weeping rage. Frigga backed away from Thor, shaking in terror.  
"He only did it at the behest of that monster! They have been having carnal relations! My son saw them kiss as lovers!" Lund railed. Frigga looked to both princes, hoping what she was hearing wasn't true. Loki stepped forward.  
"Yes, this is my fault. Take me." he said calmly.  
"Loki, no!" Thor pleaded.  
"They are right, Thor. You would have never done this, except that I asked it of you."  
"Loki, I was not considering it at all until I learned the truth of the depths of the All-Father's wickedness. I took his life for all of us! Do not do this!" Thor urged. Loki walked to Thor, kissing his cheek.  
"This is how it must be. Someone must pay, it should be me."

Thor wept and roared, "NOOO!". He summoned Mjolnir and raised her to lay waste to the entire group. Suddenly, Mjolnir fell like dead weight to the floor. Thor looked to Frigga whose hands glowed with power.  
"Mother?" he asked in shock.  
"No, Thor." she whispered, a tear trailing down her cheek. She addressed the mob. "Take him."  
Lund took hold of Loki, and two other men tied him down with the rope, one kicked him in the gut, and once he hit the floor, two others took him by his raven locks, dragging him away.  
"LOKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Thor howled, leaping over the table toward the mob, only to be restrained by four guards. "Let me go! Loki!!!!!! I love you!!! I will save you!"  
"THOR!!! I love you, Thor! This is as it should be!" Loki called, weeping.

The doors slammed shut and Thor roared and sobbed. "Why mother?! Why did you let them take him? I did the deed, why not let me be punished?" Thor asked.  
"This is to punish you, Thor. You need to know what you did cost your brother...your lover, his life. You need to imagine in your head the horrible tortures that will befall him, all because of the choice you made. Guards, take him to the dungeon. I have to prepare for my King's funeral."

The guards obeyed, tossing Thor into a cell and locking the doors. Thor scrambled for a corner of the cell, knees to his chest, wailing.

The mob tied Loki to the saddle of a horse, dragging him behind it as they sped for the clearing where Odin was murdered. His skin was shredded by sharp rocks, and his attempts to get to his feet proved futile. When they arrived at the clearing, Loki was untied from the saddle but still left bound. The skin from the back of his head to the backs of his heels was raw and bloody and stung as the wind blew over it.  
"Look at what you caused! Look at the blood of the All-Father, shed in your name!" Lund growled, gripping Loki by his tangled, matted hair and forcing him to look around at the gore-soaked scene.  
"If I could take it back, I would!" Loki wept bitterly.  
"Too late for that. All you can do now is suffer worse than he did!" Lund hissed, as four men took hold of Loki, lashing him to a tree, facing forward. The men picked up stones and hurled them at him, tearing open wounds, breaking bones. One particularly large one struck his shin, shattering the bone. Loki screamed and dropped to the ground.  
"Oh no you don't you monster!" Lund growled, lifting Loki to standing and tying the ropes tighter to keep him upright. Loki just wept, repeating "I am sorry...I am sorry..." over and over like a prayer. One of the men produced a strap of leather from their pack and began to rain down lashes with it as the mob hooted and cheered. Loki's eyes began to loll about in his head, but he knew his torment was only beginning.

Heimdall was ever the stoic watchman, never letting the things he sees bring forth any emotion. After watching the cruelty being bestowed upon Loki, a single tear fell, and for the first time since he was given command over the Bifrost, he left his station, headed for the palace.

Frigga lay in her bed, face buried in the pillows, weeping with everything she had. Her entire world had crumbled right before her very eyes: her husband was dead, the sons she raised as her own had conspired to murder him and they were lovers. She wanted to be furious with them both. She wanted to be unable to forgive them, but she knew in her heart that Odin was a vicious, corrupt king. The punishment he waged upon her was far from forgotten, the scars ever on her heart, if not her body. Her handmaiden tapped gently on the door. Frigga invited her in, and she set a flagon of Vanir wine on the Queen's bedside table.  
"Your Highness, Heimdall wishes to speak with you." the handmaiden informed her.  
"Heimdall?" the Queen asked.  
"Yes, my Queen."  
"Well, he shall have to wait. I am in no condition to make a journey to the Bifrost."  
"No, Your Highness, he awaits you in the throne room."  
"He's here?!" Frigga rose from the bed, hurrying to make herself look presentable. If Heimdall left his post, she knew whatever he had to say must be of utmost importance.

Frigga entered the throne room, and Heimdall knelt reverently.  
"Rise, Heimdall." Frigga ordered, and he quickly obeyed.  
"Your Highness." Heimdall addressed her, and she embraced him tightly.  
"Old friend...tell me, what am I to do?" she wept bitterly, Heimdall held her comfortingly.  
"I know the burden you now bear is a heavy one, Your Highness."  
Frigga, nodded, releasing him and wiping her tears away. "Heimdall what am I to do? How did Thor even discover the truth of his birth?" she asked, then she eyed Heimdall suspiciously. "You told him, didn't you?" she asked accusingly.  
"Hypothetically. I never stated anything as fact, I merely told him a story. I never admitted to its veracity."  
Frigga folded her arms. "And are you happy with what has occurred because of your telling of tales?" she asked, face devoid of emotion.  
"If I may speak freely, Your Highness?"  
"Of course."  
"Then, yes. For the most part. Having to stand by, watching Odin doing evil and being utterly unable to put a stop to it, has been an unbearable agony, Your Highness. Watching what he did to you, and being unable to render you any aid...it was the first time I knew what it was to have a broken heart."  
Frigga's face softened, and her eyes flooded with tears. The love and mutual admiration she and Heimdall shared was plain, and likely most of what fueled Odin's coldness and cruelty towards his queen. Heimdall removed his helmet and Frigga kissed him deeply. After a few moments, Heimdall pulled away, caressing her face. "As for what you should do, you know Thor is guilty of nothing. Odin deserved every bit of what Thor unleashed upon him. It is not up to me, but if it were, I would release Thor, return control of Mjolnir to him and let him save his love."  
Frigga pulled away, pacing. "His love...They were raised as brothers! You do not find their romance to be perverse?"  
"They share no parentage. Their love is no different than any other. How they were raised, with all due respect, Your Highness, is irrelevant. Their courtship did not begin until long after they knew they were not kin."  
"But you know the law, Heimdall. A prince must take a wife, no matter his preference. The royal family line must be continued. If a prince takes a husband, our lineage dies and Asgard will be plunged into chaos."  
"Forgive me, my Queen, if I speak out of turn, but remember, Loki is of Jotun blood. Jotuns are intersex and are capable of bearing children. Loki could be with child as we speak. He need only revert to his Jotun form to deliver a child, but can conceive even in his Aesir form. The line would continue."  
Frigga's eyes grew wide with horror at the thought Loki could be pregnant, and right now he was being tortured, if he wasn't dead already.  
"Ye Gods, Heimdall! Return to your post at the Bifrost. I have to release Thor and hope I am not too late."  
Heimdall bowed reverently, and Frigga pulled him close, kissing him one more time.  
"Thank you for making me see sense."  
"Anytime my Queen." he smiled softly, putting his helmet on and making his way back to the Bifrost.

Frigga fled down the stairs to the dungeon, Mjolnir in hand.  
"Unlock Thor's cell, NOW!" she commanded the guards. They begrudgingly obeyed and Frigga dropped to her knees where Thor sat, still mourning. "Thor! I am so sorry, I was so wrong!" Frigga wept, kissing Thor's cheek and wiping his tears away. "I have brought you Mjolnir. The mob likely took Loki to the place where you and the All-Father made camp. Hurry, hurry now, hopefully you can still save him!"  
Thor eyed her with shock, taken aback by her sudden change of heart. He took Mjolnir in hand and she sang through his veins once more. "Mother, I am so sorry..." Thor said softly.  
"You have nothing to be sorry for. What you did was long overdue. Now, hurry before your brother pays the unfair price for it."

Thor tore from the palace, mounting his steed and riding full speed for the clearing.

Loki was barely clinging to life. At this point, his face was bloodied and swollen, and he long ago lost the ability to see. Countless bones were shattered, and he had more wounds than untouched skin. Lund decided it was time to bring the proceedings to an end. He took a jar of lamp oil from his pack, pouring it around the tree.  
"Burn him! Give the Frost Giant a taste of flames!" a man shouted.  
Thor arrived just as Lund had lit a bundle of straw with fire stones.  
"STOP!" Thor commanded.  
Lund's head whipped around. "Unless you want to join him, Odinson, you need to return to the palace now!"  
Thor leapt from his steed. "I am a prince of Asgard and you will address me properly or you will face the headman's axe, Lund! Now, untie Loki, now, while I still feel generous enough to allow you to live!"  
"Thor...Thor..." Loki said weakly.  
Lund's eyes were alight with rage and he tossed the burning straw at the base of the tree, and it caught fire instantly. Thor roared and swung Mjolnir, dissolving Lund into a spray of red with one blow. The rest of the crowd mounted their steeds, fleeing. As the flames raged around him, Loki began to scream. Thor swung Mjolnir at a fierce pace until she gained enough power to call down a torrent of rain, dousing the fire. Thor tore the ropes away from Loki, taking him in his arms.  
"Thor...leave me..." Loki said, near death.  
"No! Mother sent me to save you. She bears us no ill will. I am taking you to the palace."

Thor threw Loki over his shoulder, trying to block out his screams of agony as he mounted his steed and raced for the palace. Once he arrived, he hurriedly handed off his horse to the stable hands and fled to the healing room.  
"I need every healer, now!" he ordered, voice thundering.  
The healers descended upon Loki, each trying to heal him as best as he could. One finally stepped away.  
"Your Highness, there is nothing we can do. He is beyond our powers." the healer told Thor. Tears fell freely from Thor's eyes.  
"No, try harder!" Thor commanded.  
"We have exhausted everything at our disposal. If he had his own power, he could help, but he is forbidden to-"  
"Take off the bands!" Thor demanded.  
"Your Highness, he is required to-"  
"TAKE OFF THE BANDS!"  
"Take them off, healer." a soft voice replied from the doorway. Frigga made her way into the healing room. "Take them off now." she repeated. The healer bowed and complied. Once they fell away, Thor dropped to his knees by Loki's side.  
"Loki, you have to fight. You have your Seiðr once more. Use it to help heal yourself. You cannot leave me, please, Loki...my love."  
"I am too weak." Loki uttered not much louder than a breath.  
Frigga knelt at Loki's other side, taking his hand. "You must try, Loki." she wept, bringing his hand to her lips.  
Loki's skin began to shimmer with a barely visible green glow. Thor whispered words of encouragement and the glow grew brighter. Wounds began to close, burns began to give way to blemishless skin. The swelling in his face began to go down and teeth he had lost began to return. A healer began to feed him slices of one of Idunn's golden apples to help the healing along. After what seemed like an eternity, Loki was finally healed. Both Thor and Frigga peppered his cheeks with kisses and wept happily.  
"Oh my sweet Loki...Please forgive me..." Frigga pleaded. Loki embraced her tightly.  
"I understand, mother. Nothing to forgive." Loki replied.  
"You must be exhausted. Thor, take him to your quarters and keep him company tonight." Frigga ordered.  
"Mother?" Thor asked quizzically.  
"And we will have to eventually discuss your wedding. I mean, surely you were planning to wed. I would like some grandchildren before I die." Frigga added.  
Loki and Thor eyed each other in shock.  
"You are not disgusted by our love?" Loki questioned.  
"You are not kin, are you? And Loki can bear children, being Jotun, so marrying him does not violate the laws of royalty. I am glad you have found love for one another, no matter the form."  
Loki kissed Frigga's cheek. "Thank you."  
Frigga wiped away a few stray tears. "Okay, okay. Thor, get him into bed." Frigga blushed madly, "I mean...he needs rest."  
Thor and Loki both laughed deeply. Thor rose to his feet, helping Loki to stand and supporting him as they made their way to his bedchamber.

* * *

In the months that followed this horrible ordeal, Frigga made the citizenry aware of Odin's evils and Loki and Thor were forgiven for his death. There was grand feasting and celebration when Thor and Loki were wed. Within the year after their wedding, Loki bore and gave birth to a son, Ørlygr. The princes took the throne, ruling side-by-side as kings, making true the words Odin said to them both all those years ago in the weapons vault: "...both of you were born to be kings."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I told ya it was gonna end well! 
> 
> Thanks to those of you who stuck through to the end, and extra special thanks to my lovely, sextacular girlfriend, [Rose de Noire](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_de_noire), my platonic lifemate, [Steph](http://servantofasgard.tumblr.com), and last but never EVER least, most certainly in my heart, my bestie, [Raine](http://raineblade.tumblr.com), for all putting up with me pestering them to read this and my never shutting up about you amazing readers and all the incredibly nice, encouraging comments you've left me. It's all of you that keep my passion for writing alive. Thank you!
> 
> <3

**Author's Note:**

> There is a singular rule that is carved in stone when anyone RP's the Marvel Cinematic Universe with me, or when I write a fic that features Odin:
> 
> **ODIN ALWAYS DIES.**
> 
> It's a combination of my own deep-seated daddy issues (and the fact my dad was the spitting image of Odin, no joke, only stokes my ire) and the fact that I just utterly despise MCU!Odin in general. If this bothers anyone, I apologize, but this will not change in the foreseeable future. If you see Odin listed as a character in one of my fics, know he'll be a goner by the time it ends.
> 
> The fic title comes from the Bible (Mark 6:21-29 to be precise). [Salome](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome#Biblical_character) was the stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. On his birthday, she danced for him and he was so moved by her grace and beauty that he swore before all the guests in attendance that he would give her anything she asked for, no matter what it was. Salome asked her mother, Herodias, what she should ask for and her mother told her to demand the head of John the Baptist, and Salome did just that: demanded his head on a silver plate. The king, having sworn an oath in front of countless witnesses to give Salome whatever she asked of him, had no choice by to comply.
> 
> Believe it or not, when I came up with the idea of this fic, one: It wasn't originally going to be this dark. I had originally intended to knock out a quick and dirty PWP and call it good, but the fic kind of decided it wanted to be more than that and I am at the whim of my imagination. Two: It wasn't until I had outlined the story in my head that I realized the parallels between this story and the story of Salome, so while the story of Salome was obviously an influence, it was a subconscious one, and I can't say I'm unhappy about it. I think it's kind of cool. ^.^
> 
> One last note, the type of belly dance Loki is doing is predominantly the Turkish style, but there are added elements not traditional to this style. This isn't because I don't know what I'm talking about, but more that Loki cherry-picked things from other forms of belly dance that he liked to create a more dramatic performance. He's of Asgard for cry-eye and he does what he wants, so if he wants to add things in that aren't traditional, he's gonna. LOL


End file.
